Jason Kelce, a 36-year-old veteran American football player, announced this Monday his retirement from the NFL after playing 13 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles, the team with which he won Super Bowl LII.
For this reason, the Eagles of the NFL; the 76ers, of the NBA, the Phillies, of the MLB; and the Flyers, of the NHL, teams from the city of Philadelphia from the main professional sports leagues in the United States, joined. to the farewell of Jason Kelce’s career.
“It’s hard to express what Jason Kelce has meant to everyone in this organization, to the city of Philadelphia and to our fans. He gave us everything he had for 13 years and he did it in a really authentic way. “Jason has been an incredible football player: a future Hall of Famer,” the Eagles said in a statement.
“It is a bittersweet day; “It is difficult to imagine the Eagles taking the field without Jason Kelce in uniform, but we are also excited to celebrate his career and support him as he continues his journey,” said Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie.
The Philadelphia 76ers, a team from the National Basketball Association (NBA), which also has its headquarters in the city known as the ‘cradle of democracy’ in the United States, joined the voices that highlighted the career of the now former player.
“Congratulations on a legendary career, Jason Kelce!” was the message from the 76ers, accompanied by two photographs of Kelce during a game he attended to watch them at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Philadelphia Phillies, the ninth team in Major League Baseball (MLB), were added to the farewell messages.
“Cheers to a great career. Thank you for everything you’ve done for Philadelphia, Jason Kelce. “Good luck in retirement!” wrote the Phillies in a publication in which Kelce appears in a heartfelt hug with the Phillie Phanatic, the team’s popular mascot during a game at Citizens Bank Park.
The Philadelphia Flyers, a team from the National Hockey League (NHL), which is also local to the city, were not far behind in recognizing Kelce.
“A true Philadelphian. Congratulations on your retirement and a Hall of Fame career, Jason Kelce!” was the Flyers’ writing that appears alongside a couple of photographs of Jason wearing the NHL team’s orange jersey.
Jason Kelce: A Life in Philadelphia
“I have never been so excited to come to an Eagles conference. Entering the field was the most alive and free I felt in my life. Everything felt too perfect when the Eagles drafted me in the sixth round,” Kelce, considered one of the best centers in NFL history and a future Hall of Famer, said through tears.
The player born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on November 5, 1987, accumulated 205 games with the Eagles in more than a decade, seven selections to the Pro Bowl, six victories in playoff games and played in two Super Bowls, which emerged victorious in the 2017 season, when the Eagles beat the New England Patriots, led by Tom Brady, 41-33.
Present at the press conference in which he said goodbye to football were his brother, tight end Travis Kelce, champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, and Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni.
The center, who joined the Eagles in 2011, shared the strong relationship he has with his brother Travis, and how important he was to his professional success.
“I love you brother, we won countless Super Bowls before we left home. I wouldn’t be here without the bond that Travis and I share,” she noted.
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